Archives for new york city

Virgin Blacktop is a documentary focusing on the East Coast skate crew who dubbed themselves The Wizards. Beginning in the mid ’70s in the NYC suburbs (namely Spark Hill), director Charlie Samuels weaves a web of how the group came to form. He introduces the skaters using such light-hearted superlatives as “first skateboarder in Nyack.” Early on, the film captures the true essence of a group of teenagers finding what they’re passionate about and bonding over it. But it quickly evolves into a gripping narrative of what can happen in a contained environment where individuals are continually pushing and inspiringRead More

“I really dug the film Citizen Jane.” “Oh, what’s it about?” “City planning.” “Huh?” “City planning. The planning of cities.” “I think I’ll skip that one.” And that would be a terrible mistake. Sure, Citizen Jane: Battle for the City is a film about city planning, but it’s primarily about the people who defined the movements in New York City and how their impact is still being felt all these years later. In a time when gentrification is destroying cities all across the country, Citizen Jane seems relevant now more than ever. And, though gentrification could not be stopped inRead More